Donibane Garazi, Nafarroa Beherea. The expedition of 24 travelers organized by Euskal Argentina will travel according to the foundational objectives of the entity, to promote relations between Iparralde and Basques who emigrated to the Southern Cone, as well as “to investigate, stimulate and disseminate (on both sides of the ocean) the knowledge of the Basque Diaspora especially that of Iparralde.” The association organizes a trip every two years for its members and friends to the Southern Cone, normally coinciding with the Semana Nacional Vasca in Argentina.
“This year the trip will run November 5-25,” Monika Legarto, president of Euskal Argentina explained to EuskalKultura.eus, adding that the majority of the travelers will visit Argentina for the first time, despite being a territory that in many cases holded a prominent place in their family stories. Among the passengers, there are 22 people from Iparralde and 2 from Bigorre, all of them having family, or being linked to immigrants who left for the Southern Cone.
In Buenos Aires, they will be welcomed by directors and members of the Iparraldeko Euskal Etxea-Centro Vasco Francés, and will then travel to Bahia Blanca to participate in Semana Nacional Vasca 2019. After the last Sunday of the event they will travel to nearby Pigüé to gather with Basques in the area and meet “gure kusiekin” with their cousins, as well as neighbors in the city who are originally from Aveyron-Avairon. Pigüé, doesn’t have an official Basque club but does have a large Basque community founded in 1884 by many families from Aveyron-Avairon, in Occitanie, France.
Members of Euskal Argentina will then visit Carhué and Villa Epecuén, bordering with La Pampa province, guided by “cousins and members of the Basque association.” This will be followed by several days off, allowing the members to spend time with each of their families, to reunite again on November 25th for a tango demonstration, and begin the return trip to Euskal Herria.
As with every Euskal Argentina trip, improvised singing, following the best Basque tradition, will have their space throughout the trip.
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